The move has triggered sharp criticism by environmental activists ahead of the COP30 UN climate talks in Brazil next month. The Equatorial Margin deposit off Brazil's coast is believed to be rich in oil and gas. The company was granted the license to drill in the area after a five-year battle. The country's environmental agency IBAMA said the approval came after a "rigorous environmental licensing process."
Hundreds of environmental and human rights groups and activists have penned a letter urging the upcoming UN climate conference, COP30, in Brazil to place justice and reparations for people unfairly affected by the climate crisis, colonialism and slavery at the centre of talks. The signatories, which include Brazil's Instituto Luiz Gama and the Caribbean Pan African Network (CPAN), urged organisers on Friday